Does this happen in life? It doesn't happen like that in life! How is artistic truth different from reality and where is the line between them? Why does a fully invented dramatic story often seem more true to us than life itself? The famous screenwriter, screenwriting teacher Alexander Talal devotes his book to this topic. Analyzing the phenomenon of mythological perception, the author introduces the reader to the techniques used by the creators of exciting stories, combining and mixing mythical and life elements, "truth" and "lies." Using the example of famous films and TV shows, he shows how these techniques affect the audience and help to achieve audience success. The book will be of interest to novice and experienced screenwriters, prose writers and playwrights, film critics, screenwriting teachers, journalists and PR specialists, as well as everyone who is interested in "narrative arts" - cinema, theater, literature.